Latest News
Chicken BBQ to Benefit Michael "Fluff" Bennett
April 4, 2024 |
Mike “Fluffy” Bennett has been the man behind the scenes as the Executive Director of TIERS for many years. Recently, he’s been hospitalized in Westchester and is fighting for his life. Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 27th for a delicious Chicken BBQ prepared in a joint effort between TIERS and the Town of Clayton Fire Department. All proceeds will be directed to Fluff and his family to cover travel expenses, medical bills, and other associated costs they will have. Also, bring your bottles and cans as we will be collecting them too!
💲15
📍Town of Clayton Fire Dept. Station 1. 855 Graves St., Clayton
🕛 Serving at 12 noon.
Awards CEREMONY
April 12, 2024 | Tim Farrell
Earlier this evening, the North Country REMSCO held its annual awards ceremony at the Spring Fling EMS Conference at Edgewood Resort in Alexandria Bay. We were happy to have a few reasons to be there.
As you may have heard, TIERS volunteer Dan Ward passed away in December after a long and valiant battle with Cancer. Dan had enrolled in an Advanced EMT class in the spring of 2023, however made the tough decision to drop the course when his health declined. Tonight, members of the NYS Dept. of Health Bureau of EMS and Traumas Systems were on hand to posthumously present Dan’s Advanced EMT Certification to his wife Wendi, and daughters Claire and Andie Rae.
Last fall, while in the role of Jefferson County Deputy EMS Coordinator, Paramedic Nathan Peters was the first to arrive on scene of a severe motor vehicle crash with multiple critical adult and pediatric patients, that ultimately ended with multiple fatalities. He immediately took EMS Command of the incident, triaged the patients, coordinated with multiple EMS ground and air agencies, and directed transport of each patient to an appropriate hospital. Nate showed incredible leadership abilities that day, and led his team with calmness and poise in an incredibly stressful situation. For these reasons, and many more, we are proud to announce TIERS Paramedic Nathan Peters was chosen as Regional Advanced Life Support Provider of the Year, and has been nominated for NYS Paramedic of the Year.
Many that know of TIERS know the name Rolly Churchill. Rolly was instrumental in the formation of TIERS, and was tonight’s Keynote Speaker. Rolly served as a Paramedic and our Executive Director from day one until his retirement in 2017. Last June, Rolly’s wife Vicky heard an odd noise coming from their bedroom. When she and their daughter Carley opened the door, they found Rolly lying on the bed. His heart was not beating, and he was not breathing. They immediately initiated CPR and called 911. Town of Watertown Ambulance Service, Town of Watertown Fire Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department were on the scene with in minutes. Rolly was defibrillated multiple times, and a plethora of emergency medications were administered by paramedics on scene. He was transported to Samaritan Medical Center for stabilization, then St. Joseph’s Hospital for a Cardiac Catheterization. Tonight, Rolly stood in front of us to tell his story. An amazing story of an EMT, who became a Paramedic, then EMS director and educator, and committed a lifetime to helping others and teaching EMT classes, CPR classes, and other lifesaving skills, only to have some of his own students be the ones who saved his life with the skills he taught them. It was a heartwarming moment for all in attendance, and Rolly wishes to highlight the need for Community CPR training and readily available Public Access Defibrillators.
Clipper Inn Benefit Dinner
March 19, 2024 |
It's that time of year again. The Clipper Inn Benefit Dinner is back. If you are interested in having some wonderful food please come out and support TI Rescue. You can dine in or get takeout. To purchase a ticket please use the following link or stop into the building and get some tickets in person. . (LINK)
Free Hands Only CPR
February 23, 2024 |
With our first two hands-only CPR courses wrapping up we have decided to try and offer another one this time in the evening. Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service in conjunction with The Paynter Center is offering a free to the public Hands-Only CPR course. The course dates are listed in the flyer. If you are interested please scan the QR code or visit the link below. Any questions please reach out by phone at 315-686-4333 ext. 310 or by email at CPR@TIRESCUE.ORG.
Free Hands only CPR
January 19, 2024 |
Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service in conjunction with The Paynter Center is offering a free to the public Hands-Only CPR course. The course dates are listed in the flyer. If you are interested please scan the QR code or visit the link below. Any questions please reach out by phone at 315-686-4333 ext. 310 or by email at CPR@TIRESCUE.ORG.
A new lease on life
August 8, 2023 | Tim Farrell
Meet retired Emergency Room physician Randy Heinle and his lovely wife Delores. We met them, though it wasn’t under the best of circumstances. Keep reading, there’s a happy ending.
Mr. & Mrs. Heinle have a love for antique wooden boats. They own and restore them, and they have traveled many summers from their home near Akron, Ohio to spend the week in Clayton for the Annual Antique Boat Show at the Antique Boat Museum.
About a year ago, on the evening of August 1st, Clayton Fire Department and TIERS were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident. Crews knew from the urgency in the dispatcher’s voice as she said “Head-On motor vehicle accident with entrapment and serious injuries” that this would not be a run of the mill call. As Fire and EMS crews arrived at the scene, they were met with a horrific and gruesome sight. It never slowed them down as they went right to their work. While TIERS crews began tending to the patients, Clayton Fire personnel began cutting Dr. Heinle from his vehicle.
Delores’s leg was nearly severed when EMS crews made it to her side, and she had several broken ribs. She was bleeding profusely, and soon became unconscious. A tourniquet was applied to stop the bleeding, and soon after, Delores regained consciousness. IVs we’re inserted, and she was then taken by TIERS Ambulance to the Clayton Fire Station where firefighters had set up landing zones for the air medical helicopters that would be transporting Mr. & Mrs. Heinle to Upstate Medical University Hospital in Syracuse, our closest Level 1 Trauma Center. Delores’s care was turned over the crew of LifeNet 7-10, an Air Medivac team flying out of the Watertown International Airport. During the flight to Syracuse, Mrs. Heinle was transfused with 3 units of blood, becoming one of the first patients in New York State to receive blood in a prehospital setting following the recent approval of pre-hospital transfusions by air-medical teams.
Dr. Heinle has treated thousands of trauma patients in his career, but found the roles reversed on that night. He was awake and alert, with the dash and steering wheel of his car pushed downward, pinning him in his seat with a shattered femur in his upper leg. Clayton Fire and Rescue personnel used the Jaws of Life to remove the roof from the car to gain better access. They then began the tedious process of using hydraulic tools to push the dash away from the seat enough so that Dr. Heinle could be extricated. Like his wife, he would be transported by TIERS Ambulance to meet a helicopter at the Clayton Fire Department. This aircraft would be Mercy Flight Central out of Rome, NY. Dr. Heinle’s care would be transferred to the flight crew and he was also transported to Upstate Medical University with his wife.
Randy and Delores both spent approximately three months in hospitals before both being transferred to a rehabilitation center in Akron. Eventually, they both made it home.
If you live in Clayton, then you know that it is Antique Boat Show weekend. And that means Mr. & Mrs. Heinle have made their annual trip. When they reached out and asked to meet those that, in their words, “saved our lives that night”, we knew that we had to make this a grand occasion. Today, just over a year later, Mr. & Mrs. Heinle WALKED into the event tent at Coyote Moon Vineyards, and met the 911 Dispatchers, Firefighters, Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, Flight Crews, and State Troopers that responded on that fateful night. Unfortunately, in emergency services we often never get to hear the final outcomes of our patients, especially when they live so far away. Today was a rare exception, and what an amazing day it was. We laughed and cried, enjoyed food and drinks, shared a few words and a few hugs. But most importantly we shared the presence of Randy and Delores. We were all just as grateful to see them happy and healthy, as they were to see us.
Also, a very special Thank You to Coyote Moon Vinyards for the beautiful venue and amazing food today!
New Providers at TI Rescue
June 27, 2023 | Tim Farrell
We’ve got a little bragging to do, and we couldn’t be more proud to be a sending out congratulations to these amazing EMS providers who have all passed State certification exams in the last few days!
Eli Kester, EMT
Eli is following in his fathers, footsteps and is planning to become a Flight Nurse and Flight Paramedic. He’s doing it the same way Rod did by becoming an EMT with TIERS first, and climbing his way up the ladder. Eli also just graduated from TI High School, as valedictorian.
Bree Shultz, EMT
Bree recently joined our Junior Program, and was hooked after her first shift. She enrolled in EMT class and developed a passion for helping others in their time of need. Bree plans to pursue a career in nursing.
Joe Lopresti, EMT
Joe is also following in the footsteps of family. His sister, Mary-Elizabeth, is a previous TIERS Critical Care Technician, and Joe brings with him the same love and passion of emergency services that she did. When not on the ambulance, he can still be found helping others as a member of the Town of Clayton Fire Department.
Sophia Devito, EMT-P
Sofia comes to us from Sackets Harbor, and was previously showcased on national news with a small group of teens that helped to save the ambulance service in Sackets Harbor. She is just a year out of high school, and at just 19 years old becomes the youngest Paramedic member in the history of TIERS.
Reuben Pruit, EMT-P
Former US Marine and personal trainer Reuben Pruitt stumbled into EMS after a student of his said he should come volunteer. He’s now made it a second career, and has excelled tremendously. Not only is Reuben a new Paramedic, he is also an EMS educator, and a regular speaker at EMS conferences.
Josh Reome, EMT
Josh recently completed his EMT course on Fort Drum as a new Firefighter with the Fort Drum Fire Department. Josh has always been a helping hand to TIERS when needed, but recently made it official and applied for membership. He also serves the Town of Clayton Fire Department as District Chief.
Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser
May 25 2023 | Nathan Peters
It's that time of year again. The annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser at Foxy's Restaurant in Fishers Landing is on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The dinner runs from 4-8 PM Please RSVP by calling 315-686-3781. There will be a 50/50 raffle that night. Please come out and support the Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service. We hope to see you there.
Advocating for better EMS in the North Country
Mark Deavers | Senator Walczyk | Michael Bennett
April 9 2023 | ALBANY,NY
On 03/29/2023 Mark Deavers and Michael Bennett met with key legislators in Albany at an event hosted by the Legislative Committee on Rural Resources. Mark Deavers is the Director of the Gouverneur Rescue Squad (GVRS-EMS), the Director of Emergency Medical Services for the St. Lawrence Health System (SLHS) as well as the Vice President of the New York State Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Association (NYSVARA). Michael Bennett is the Executive Director of TIERS, Director for NYSVARA District 21 (North Country), and Chair of their Rural EMS and Youth Education Committees. Both had the opportunity to interact with over 50 elected officials and their staff to provide details on how their legislation can impact EMS across the state and the unique challenges that Rural Medicine faces. Thank You to all the legislators that were able to attend and advocate for EMS in the North Country and across the rest of NYS.
Please visit the NYSVARA website to learn more about us. (Link)
TIERS and GVRS are also associate members of the United New York Ambulance Network (UNYAN) which is another professional association that advocates for EMS in NYS. Please visit their website for more information. (Link)
Academic Allstar Award
EKester All Star.mp4March 29 2023 | WWNYTV
Congratulations to TIERS Member Eli Kester for being recognized as this week's 7 News Academic All-Star! Eli is a senior at Thousand Islands High School and has plans to follow in his father's footsteps and become an Emergency Flight Nurse. In the meantime, he is currently enrolled in the EMT course being held at TIERS. We're proud of you Eli! Read the full article on WWNYTV. (LINK)
Benefit Dinner at the Clipper Inn
March 17 2023 |
It's that time of year again. Wednesday, April 19, 2023 The Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service is holding it's Benefit Dinner at The Clipper Inn. It runs from 4pm to 11pm. All are encouraged to attend. It is a wonderful event that helps support the Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service.
Carry-Out available at 4:00PM - Please use the Lounge Entrance located on the right side of the building. Proceed to the back of the lounge and check in with our team and we will get right to work boxing up your meal. Feel free to have a beverage at the bar while you wait!
Dine-In Seating begins at 5:00PM - Reservations are appreciated by calling 315-686-3842. Don't forget to stop by the Lounge to check out our raffle offerings!
Academic Allstar Award
NWaterman Acadmic All Star.mp4March 15 2023 | WWNYTV
We couldn't be more proud of this week's 7 News Academic All-Star, our own Natalie Waterman! Natalie is a LaFargeville Central School Senior, and an EMT with TIERS that has a very bright future ahead! She also has an important message for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer EMT. Watch her interview with 7 News's Diane Rutherford (LINK)!
Meet our new emt's
January 6, 2023 | Nathan Peters
These two high schoolers have successfully passed their EMT course and you can currently see them on the ambulance. They both took the same class and they knew a little about each other prior to going to school. Once they started class Cooper decided to join TIERS. We are unsure if Natalie had something to do with it but she may have. While juggling high school classes they still managed to have the time to attend EMT class at night and they also found time to do their clinical time on the ambulance.
We have had the chance to work with these young providers. Please be on the lookout for them and be sure to congratulate them. We all are so very proud of all the providers we are able to get.
Cooper Antonson
Cooper came to TIERS as a junior member already enrolled in the EMT Class. Cooper is a senior in high school. His EMS career started when he was 16 years old and he fell in love with EMS. NYS changed the rules to allow enrollment at 17. Cooper jumped right on it and enrolled. He then wanted to get more involved in EMS so he chose to join TIERS. He has been a huge asset and he plans on attending Paramedic school in the future.
Natalie Waterman
Natalie joined TIERS when she was only 15 years old. When she started here she was very quiet and but she came out of her shell very quickly. Natalie is a senior in high school. She decided at age 17 to enroll in EMT school while she is still in high school. Natalie is looking forward to college in the fall and from what we can pry out of her she is looking into pursuing something in the medical field she is unsure of what she wants to do.
A year in review
January 1, 2023 | Nathan Peters
With the 2022 year coming to an end, Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service is proud of its members and all of their accomplishments.
In 2022 we were dispatched to 1398 incidents. That is an approximate 200 increase over the previous year. With COVID being over, we had the opportunity to have public events again in the Clayton and Orleans area. We have had several crews on over the summer helping with standby events to keep the citizens and visitors safe. We also had the return of our two yearly fundraising events at The Clipper Inn and Foxy's Restaurant.
We have three new EMT's. Maddison, Janet and Mandy are all cleared providers and now currently running 911 calls with us. We also have three new Advanced EMT's Ericka, Claire and Sophia are all cleared providers as well and you will be able to see all three of them on the ambulance running 911 calls. We also have four new Paramedics, two of which have been with us for years and the other two are new to TI Rescue. All four of these young ladies, Maddison, Julie, Paige and Jenna are currently cleared providers and running 911 calls. We also have three providers that went on to become EMS instructors, Reuben is a Clinical Instructor Coordinator, which allows him to teach a full EMS class, while Nathan and Tracie are Certified Lab Instructor, which allows them to teach all the lab (hands-on) portion of an EMS class.
Those are just some of the few accomplishments of our valued members. At TI Rescue we have received many donations that were crucial in helping us purchase a new ambulance. The new ambulance came with a new style electric stretcher. The stretcher will drastically cut down on work related injures.
With the 2022 year behind us, we all have accomplished so much. We all poor our blood, sweat, and tears into TI Rescue. Without our providers continuing to grow and all of the donations we receive, we would not be able to provide the service to this wonderful community. Thank you to everyone and have a wonderful 2023.